Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Pass This Hard Dog Breed Identification Quiz?

Olivia C

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Dogs come in all shapes, colors, fur textures, temperaments and sizes. Do you think you can identify these very familiar creatures based on their images alone? Come on, challenge yourself! We'll give you hints to help!

There are what feels like an infinite number of dog breeds, from the standard (poodles, golden retrievers, Labradors, spaniels, Dalmatians and the like) to the more boutique breeds (golden doodles, schnoodles, chiweenies, maltipoos and more.)

Even if you spend all of your free time volunteering at the pound, or more likely, scrolling for hours through photos and videos of cute puppies on social media, you may not be able to correctly identify every breed in this quiz. If you're a vet, however, we hope you score relatively high!

So, get ready for a bunch of adorable dog photos (oh yes, and a quiz.) See if you can identify each of these dog breeds from a single screenshot, and then challenge your friends! Whoever has the lowest score is going to be stuck in the dog house...kidding!

WikiCommons by DChristifano

Can you name this dog breed?

Australian cattle dog

Doberman

Goldendoodle

Boxer

The combined breeds of the golden retriever and the poodle produced the goldendoodle. These pups are considered "designer dogs" which really means intentional crossbreeds.

shutterstock

How about this one?

Maltese

Cocker spaniel

Welsh terrier

Cockapoo

In a survey, veterinarians agree that the Maltese is a good dog to have for people who want to try raising a dog for the first time. It's tiny and lovable.

Shutterstock

What is this breed called?

Bloodhound

Jack Russell terrier

Old English sheepdog

Lhasa Apso

The Jack Russell terrier was bred by a reverend who loved fox hunting. Therefore, this breed is good accompaniment for hunters.

WikiCommons by Sav127

What's the name of this dog breed?

Pomeranian

Chihuahua

Basset hound

Puggle

When you cross a pug and a beagle, you get this puggle. They normally weigh between 15 and 30 pounds.

Bluebonnet via Youtube

This dog breed is known as what?

Dalmatian

Pit bull

Havanese

Labrador retriever

The Havanese is an energetic kind of breed. It's actually the national dog of Cuba.

shutterstock

What's this kind of mastiff?

Pug

Neapolitan mastiff

Bull terrier

Chow chow

The Neapolitan mastiff is one of the most popular breeds of large dogs. The males can weigh up to 150 lbs.

Animal Facts via Youtube

What is this toy dog called?

Miniature schnauzer

Westie

Scottie

Dachshund

If you want a toy dog that barks a lot, get a miniature schnauzer. Yep, it's a watchdog!

Shutterstock

This one-word dog breed's name is what?

Dachshund

Poodle

Papillon

Malamute

The papillon is also called the Continental toy spaniel. It's called "papillon" because the ears look like a butterfly, which is "papillon" in French.

shutterstock

What do you call this snow-loving pup?

Alaskan malamute

Irish bloodhound

St. Bernard

Dachshund

The Alaskan malamute is a good active outdoorsy dog. They were originally bred as work dogs, pulling heavy loads on sleds.

Shutterstock

This mixed breed is called what?

Greyhound

Labradoodle

Great Dane

Rottweiler

The Labradoodle is a combination of the Labrador and the poodle. It's got both breeds' characteristics. It first appeared as an intentional cross-breed in 1955.

Wiki Commons by Pets Adviser

This nationally named breed is called what?

Irish setter

Irish foxhound

American English coonhound

Newfoundland

The American English coonhound is a good hunting dog. It's mostly bred in the southern United States.

shutterstock

This royal-looking dog is known as what?

Albert mastiff

Golden retriever

Poodle

Cavalier King Charles spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is a toy breed kind of dog. They generally don't get much bigger than 18 lbs.

shutterstock

What's this European dog breed called?

Bulldog

Irish wolfhound

Boston terrier

German shepherd

The Irish wolfhound is from Ireland. It's the tallest AKC breed, but only lives for six to eight years.

Shutterstock

This European dog is called what?

Beagle

Bull mastiff

Miniature pinscher

Scottish deerhound

The Scottish deerhound is from Scotland. It is a sighthound, which means they hunt using their eyes. This very tall breed was originally bred for hunting giant wild red deer.

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Sounds foreign, but what is it called?

Chow chow

Pekingese

Bichon Frise

Border collie

The Bichon Frise is one cute, cuddly and curly pup! The name actually means "curly lap dog." They are also hypoallergenic.

shutterstock

This cocktail-sounding dog breed is known as what?

Shetland sheepdog

Yorkshire terrier

English mastiff

Black Russian terrier

The black Russian terrier was originally a military dog. While they're now more often pets than work dogs, they're still huge, weighing up to 150 lbs.

shutterstock

Presidents will approve that this dog breed is called what?

Shih Tzu

Barak

French bulldog

Australian cattle dog

The barak is a Bosnian dog breed also known as a Bosnian hound. It's a hunting dog.

Shutterstock

Canadians might like its breed. What is it?

Boxer

Doberman

Newfoundland

Siberian husky

Newfoundland dogs are indeed from Canada. Despite being large work dogs, their sweet natures also make them good "nanny dogs," as they're good with children.

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This geographically named dog is which breed?

Cockapoo

Welsh terrier

Cocker spaniel

Great Pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees is said to have been the guard dog of French kings. They're mostly used to guard livestock these days.

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Count Dracula might approve that this dog is called what?

Transylvanian hound

Lhasa Apso

Old English sheepdog

Bloodhound

The Transylvanian hound is an ancient Hungarian breed. They are scent-hounds that were originally used for hunting.

shutterstock

This duck-hunting dog breed is known as what?

Pomeranian

Chihuahua

Chesapeake Bay retriever

Basset hound

The Chesapeake Bay retriever is a large, duck-hunting dog breed. It's also known as the Chessie or the Chesapeake.

Wiki Commons by Pleple2000

What's this dog breed known as?

Swiss hound

Dalmatian

Pit bull

Labrador retriever

The Swiss hound is from Switzerland, although its forebears are French. They call it the Schweizer Laufhund. It has an ancient lineage.

shutterstock

This breed is called what?

Brussels griffon

Chow chow

Bull terrier

Pug

The Brussels griffon hails from Brussels, Belgium. The breed is quite small, usually under 12 lbs.

Wiki Commons by ~riley

This Eastern European dog breed is known as what?

St. Bernard

Dachshund

German shorthaired pointer

Greyhound

The German shorthaired pointer can indeed point you toward a good hunt. It was bred for that purpose in the 19th century.

shutterstock

G'day mate, what's this breed called?

Great Dane

Australian shepherd

Rottweiler

Golden retriever

Contrary to its name, the Australian shepherd doesn't come from Australia. It's a breed from the USA that was bred for herding livestock.

Wiki Commons by Teuteul

Mein hund, this breed is called what?

German spitz

Poodle

Bulldog

Boston Terrier

The German spitz is, obviously, from Germany. They call it the Deutscher Spitz. The first mention of this type of dog was in 1450.

Shutterstock / Morlaya

What's this high altitude dog called?

Beagle

German shepherd

Bull mastiff

Bernese mountain dog

The Bernese mountain dog originated from the Swiss Alps. They're considered affectionate working dogs, but only live for six to eight years.

shutterstock

What do you call this one?

Leonberger

Miniature pinscher

Chinook

Pekingese

The Leonberger is considered as a giant dog breed. It weighs up to 170 lbs, but is considered very affectionate and docile.

Wiki Commons by Exhaustfumes

It likes the cold and is known as what?

Border collie

English mastiff

Yorkshire terrier

Canadian Eskimo

The Canadian Eskimo is an exceedingly rare and ancient indigenous domestic arctic dog breed. They are genetically identical to the Greenland dog.

Shutterstock

This quiet breed is known as what?

Shetland sheepdog

Tibetan mastiff

Malacca runt

French bulldog

The Tibetan mastiff is a large breed that's supposed to guard herd animals. It originated from Tibet, and is traditionally kept with the much smaller Lhasa Apso to work as a team to keep strangers away from homes.

Wiki Commons by Exhaustfumes

What kind of hunting breed is this dog?

Australian cattle dog

English foxhound

Siberian husky

Doberman

The English foxhound is considered a scent-hound. Unlike sight-hounds, they sniff around for clues while assisting humans with hunting.

shutterstock

What do you call this muscular dog breed?

Japanese akita

Boxer

Cockapoo

Welsh terrier

The Japanese akita is a large breed from the mountains of northern Japan. It's comparable to the Siberian husky in stature and fur.

shutterstock

This ancient-like royal dog breed is known as what?

Cocker spaniel

Bloodhound

Old English sheepdog

Pharaoh hound

The pharaoh hound is actually the national dog of the country of Malta. Despite its name, it's not from Egypt.

shutterstock

What is this pup known as?

Lhasa Apso

Anatolian shepherd

Pomeranian

Chihuahua

The Anatolian shepherd came from the country of Turkey. It is indeed used there for shepherding duties.

Wiki Commons by The Otterhound Club of America

And this dog is called what?

Pit bull

Otterhound

Dalmatian

Basset hound

The otterhound is British in origin and was originally bred to hunt river otters. However, its now rarer than the Giant Panda, with a mere 800 individuals worldwide.

Shutterstock

What breed is this racing dog?

Bull terrier

Chow chow

Whippet

Labrador retriever

The whippet is a breed from England. It's been used as a racing dog in the U.S. since the beginning of the 20th century.

Wiki Commons by Szora

What breed is this creature?

Kuvasz

Beagle

St. Bernard

Pug

The kuvasz is Hungarian in origin. They are used as guard dogs.

shutterstock

It might be smooth, so what is it?

Rottweiler

Great Dane

Silky terrier

Greyhound

The silky terrier was bred in Australia. However, its ancestors came from the UK.

shutterstock

This active dog is what breed?

Norfolk terrier

Golden retriever

Poodle

Bulldog

The Norfolk terrier is actually British in origin. It's a small breed and easy to handle. They were originally bred to catch things like mice.

shutterstock

Annyeonghaseyo! This dog breed is called what?

Beagle

German shepherd

Jindo

Boston terrier

This dog comes from Jindo Island of South Korea. It was originally bred as a hunting dog.

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